With Marcus' help Shay moved to the bedroom. She finally let go of Marcus and balanced herself, swaying just a bit. "Give me about 20 minutes" she told Marcus. "Feel free to lay down on my bed and rest yourself." She really didn't mind if the sheets got a little dirty. The found children and the unknown Russian were still in their city. Things probably wouldn't go back to normal any time soon.

Shay limped to her shower throwing her sweatshirt on the floor and kicking her shoes off along the way, Red Waste dust sprinkling across the floor with her clothes. Shay, now inside her shower, took the rest of her clothes off. They had so many memories that she wanted to just burn them. Stripped down, she threw the rest of her clothes over the shower stall, her bare silhouette just slightly visible through the glossed glass.

Shay stood in the shower stall, hot water rushing down her back, her bandaged leg angle to stay dry. She leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. The pain from the infection was starting to come only in small waves but it still felt like torture. She wanted to feel strong and confident again. She tried to put some pressure on her foot, wincing from the pain, but surprised herself with how much weight she could bare. Damned if she would stay a cripple for long!

She finished showering, soaking herself clean from head to toe, carefully avoided her left bandaged leg. She washed her hair clean, the bottom of the shower covered in wet red waste muck.

Shay ringed her hair to get most of the wet out, wrapped a towel around her olive body then stepped out of the shower, moving back to Marcus. "Would you like to take a shower?" She offered.

Ramera stood up, bringing her hands down to brush off what dust she could that stained her maid’s uniform before bringing her hands above her head and arcing her back backwards, stretching the muscles in her lower back and stomach. She let out a sigh as her joints moved and shifted in her back. Intruding her thoughts there came a distant sharp scraping sound resounding through the air, pulling away her temporary relaxation she stared out into the distance scanning and aiming to pin-point the source of the sound. It didn’t take long to see the yellow cloud distantly in the sky.
Help

Whoever had shot that flare knew the way Paradise worked, not only that but they had carried a flare. Did someone from Paradise go out? No, they were on lock down. The only people let out were warriors, blessed ones and harpies. No, it wasn’t someone from within Paradise. Nonetheless it was near the river. Why would somebody be at the river? Unless… That sound earlier may have been from some kind of boat. It was also possible it had been a car or some land based vehicle, but you’d have to assume they would be using the river as a guide. This was strange. Was it a trap? It was quite possible, considering the recent attack. They wouldn’t have any search parties ready after the lockdown. Her sister was to head out and scout when Clo returned, but who knew when that was going to happen.

Ramera turned her head, seeing two men already racing off to go alert The Mother of the distress signal.

Ramera’d had already filled in for Anora once while she went after Clo. Now it was Anora’s turn to repay her. Ramera turned to the direction of her distant sister.

“Anora, fill in for me. I’ll be heading out with whatever make-shift search party The Mother comes up with,” she yelled out in an even tone.

Turning to the direction she’d seen the two men run off she extended her metallic wings as they released a sound mimicking that of needles clicking across metal. She soared into the sky and begun scanning the area below, searching for the two men who’d spotted the flare surprised at the distance they had already made.

Tobias nodded when his questions were answered. "well just making sure you still retain all your sense, nothing being deminished when you go full out like that" then when told not to worry about, he nodded when told not to worry about it. "agreed, but still i wanted to apologize for my action" at the itching he smiled. "thats got to be annoying, that itching all over and all" then when asked about the children he nodded. "Mother is with Clo right this moment, she's checking on the children and our big friend" meaning the Russian.. "my experiences in the matter, with my own past included children are easier to slip into places an adult couldnt or cant so im going to be keeping an eyes open" smiling when he mentioned O'Malley. "yes i suppose so, but still" nodding he took up his bag. "alright, aside from the stress fractures in your shoulders, your fine, rest a bit and when you can eat, get something in you, im going to have to do that sooner or later" nodding. "if you need me, you know where to find me Jacob" and with a friendly nod, Tobias left the man to his own devices and headed back up and out of the Reactor, shaking off the enclosed feeling it had, he was on egg shells the whole time, but he couldnt ignore it knowing that Jacob needed checked out. taking a moment he diverted his path for just a moment, and went to the market, and with a quickness brought on mainly by the need to eat he got himself a nice piece of bread, and three large sausages stuffed in between it, making a killer sandwiches he ate in five bites as he made his way back to the Med Center.

Clo nodded toward Fen first before her eyes fell on the Russian, a fairly large man now lying on his stomach with the stitching on his back exposed. She'd seen him only once hours ago before being told to get some rest. He'd been unconscious then and in pretty bad shape. From the clean and expert handiwork on his body it was clear that he had been visited by Tobias.

"Who is he?" She began to ask before her duties as Harpy interrupted her. "Actually no... mmm. You can tell me later." From where she stood, she could see out of the room and toward the front doors of the medical center. Through the small windows she noticed the light of the sun already beginning fading. She had work to do and her curiosity could be culled another time. Besides... she figured him to be nothing more than a stranger in need of saving. There was always someone in need of help outside the walls so the arrival of a new face was nothing new. She turned to Ravenia.

"My shift is about to start on the wall as you already know Mum and I've gotten enough rest as it is. I've already put everyone in danger today and I don't plan on doing it again." She bowed low. "I'm sorry... Mother. I didn't mean to fail in my duties. I won't abandon my post like that again."

There were excuses, yes. She touched the wall like she did every night and foreseen a horde of the dead attacking their city. Her actions brought about a preemptive strike against the danger and prevented them from being overrun in surprise. However none of that truly mattered to her. Because she'd left her post, others had become worried and in her mind, people had gone out to look for it. That wasn't exactly how events had unfolded but she wasn't the wiser yet. Other forces were in play that were beyond her control.

A few more words were exchanged between the four of them. Eliza and Geoffrey both apologized for the altercation while Kaiden continued to eye the pair before leaving shortly after they did. However Cypher couldn't help but notice the way Kaiden reacted to things around him. He was always happy, eager to speak with Cypher and at times the look he gave to others was that of jealousy... or perhaps the need to be protective of something. Cypher couldn't quite put his finger on what it was but it did peak his interest and he found himself smiling after the man as he walked off.

---
The party was in full swing now... at least the first half. Everyone had gathered under the golden lights of the clearing and found their place among the tables. Food had already been set out and as soon as the prayer had been said, everyone began to dig in. Their musicians had been given the privilege to eat first if only to provide subtle music while everyone else enjoyed their meal afterwards. They sat across the clearing on their own platform and with whatever instruments they managed to scavenge over the years and tune tonight, they provided soft strings and gentle melodies. The rest of their tricks would be saved for later that night. Everyone else lost themselves in the first camp wide diner in a long while. Food was fresh and warm and the smell of meat and rice and bread filled the air. Everywhere one looked there were stuffed mouths and wide smiles. In between bites, people would share stories and laughter. Kids would yell, babies cry, fathers would bellow and mothers sing to her children. The few dogs they had would pick up the scraps as they fell from the table, those lucky enough to dodge their masters.

Just as the food was being scarfed down, so too were the drink. Barrels of water... the good stuff, was carted out and poured freely. It'd put a dent on their rations for sure but it would be worth it.

Cypher found himself moving from group to group, sharing smiles and a few good laughs of his own with friends before moving on. People would talk about their ideas for the future, what they hoped to find in paradise and how they were happy their days out in the dangerous waste was finally coming to an end. Cypher was sure to sympathize with them knowing full well that the last few steps to their new home would be the most grueling. It would be many days before they could enjoy themselves like this again.. if ever again. They needed to let loose and have some fun before the real work began.

As Cypher was making his rounds, he came to Kaiden's table and noticing the empty spot next to the man, sat down next to him. He smiled at the others who were eating with Kaiden, mostly his family and a few of his good friends. "Thank you again for the meal." Cypher began nodding toward the aging woman. "I couldn't begin to express how delicious it's been. I have yet to finish the second course but I promise I will and have room for more." Cypher had his own table where his half eaten meal awaited. He was eager to finish but the need to mingle drew him away as always. "Before I do, I have to hear from you. I hope you've found the camp safe and enjoyable. As much a home as it has been to me. Your family has been a blessing on us all and I know as much as I know you do that this all couldn't have been possible without you." He looked around at the entire camp gathered around them. "Are you ready for step into Paradise?"

When shay moved away from him to get to her shower, Marcus looked at the woman and nodded at her. He wasn't actually going to lay down on her bed, just sit down on it, and that was what the mechanical man did for the next twenty minutes. He rested his head on his hands, his elbows sitting on his knees as he thought about the day. He couldn't stop thinking about how he abandoned his post to go and see Shay. He was sure that Mother and everyone else made it back into the gates. She was the Mother after all, and she wasn't like those brainless beings that they were protecting the city from. She could easily find a way over a wall.

Marcus was pulled back into the physical world by Shay, who had spoken to him about taking a shower. His eyes flicked over to her just as she finished speaking, and the man slowly nodded his head. It would have been rude of him to decline, and he needed a shower anyway. He slowly stood up and began to take off the vest that the wore over his shirt. He needed to keep his mechanical arm away from water, as it was a real pain to clean and he was sure that he wouldn't have the time to properly clean it now with all of the current events. He glanced at shay once more and looked back at his arm. He said nothing as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt only part way, allowing him to be able to remove his arm without having to really undress.

Marcus closes his eyes as he bent the metal connecting his robotic arm to his body. It had taken quite a while for him to properly make it so that he could take it on and off without having to tamper with it each time he did so, but the process still caused him a bit of pain. He let out a small grunt as the arm disconnected, and once it was done, the man grabbed the arm with his other hand and pulled it out through the sleeve of his shirt. He removed only the mechanical arm itself, and not all of the connecting pieces that covered a fair portion of the left side of his body. He could like with those getting a little wet, but the arm was a different case entirely to him. "Thank you." He said simply as he laid the arm down on the bed and went to go take a shower. He assumed that she would want to see just the arm, and left it there for her to look at.

He began to undress fully now and took a brief shower. He had not actually taken a shower in a small while, but he was working on something that he had recently completed. He told himself that he didn't have the time to clean up, and put all of his time into his work. He was glad that he was not able to take a shower, and he relaxed for a minute before washing himself. He didn't bother trying to avoid the mechanical bits that were exposed to the world, and simply cleaned the pieces of metal as well as the rest of him. Despite not truly having an arm for quite some time, it felt odd to Marcus to only have and use one arm. Even with the mechanical one, he could feel nothing from it, as it didn't have anything resembling or acting like nerves or receptors.

His shower was finished rather quickly and the man dried off with a little difficulty. He had not taken his arm off in a few days, and he had begun losing the familiar feeling of using only one arm. Nonetheless, he dried off and kept quiet, making sure he was most dry before beginning to put his clothes back on. Even for him, Marcus was being more quiet than usual, and the man couldn't say that he didn't know why he was acting like that. He knew exactly why, and he was curious to know what Shay was thinking at the moment.

Shay watched Marcus as he seemed to be in another place when she spoke to him, bringing his attention back to realty. She turned her head slightly, curious as to what he had been thinking about. Maybe he was stressed about having left his post, fearing Ravenia's reaction as he didn't normally do such a thing. Shay was willing to take all the blame and any punishment that might come from Marcus' actions. Shay was not normally a selfish person, quiet the opposite, but today she felt selfish and yet with cognitive dissonance she felt perfectly fine with it at the same time. She knew everyone else needed to care for the city given their dangerous circumstances, but she silently desired the extra care and attention to help her continue to get through what the infection did and continued to do to her both physically and mentally. Shay didn't realize it at the moment but the physical pain had been subsiding much quicker than she realized. A large percentage of the actual pain she was feeling both in her ankle and rippling throughout her body was a false notion in her head. Amazing how a damaged mind can tell the body what is or isn't real.

Sweet Sun was being as helpful as he could, definitely helping her stay calm though all of this, but Marcus...he brought a different feeling. He made her feel at peace and comforted in a much different way. No one else had the time to give her any extra attention, not that she would normally ask for it, but having Marcus right by her side was exactly what she wanted.

Shay looked at Marcus' arm as he laid it down. It was quite the structure, a brilliant masterpiece he had crafted close to perfection for his own use. She gave him a smile as he entered her shower, the hot water running once more, steam filling the room. Shay sat down on the bed for a moment and looked at Marcus arm. She didn't know his full story. Most of her time with him up on the wall when she first came were of her venting and sharing her story. Marcus was kind enough to listen and give bits if comforting advice but never once burdened Shay with his own troubles. Shay didn't realize this until now. She glanced to the shower then looked back to his arm. His story deserved to be heard. Perhaps he had his own reasons of trepidation for sharing but she knew from experience that intense past experiences that were held inside were only toxic to both body and mind. She wouldn't ask him since she didn't want to intrude but she would give everything she had to be a safe place for him, showing him she held no judgements or expectations if he ever felt the desire to open up.

Shay ran her finger tenderly along Marcus' metal arm, trailing her soft flesh across the cold metal, feeling all of the small pieces that held the intricate piece together. She desired to know more about him. You can tell a lot about a person by their actions. Marcus didn't need to say very much for her to know the kind of man he inherently was. But she desired to know more about him, his story, his future desires. Even in the land they lived with grim prospects, everyone had a right to a desire, a goal for their future to strive for. What was his?

She got up from the bed and let her towel drop from her dry body. She moved to her dresser and began to slip on some clothes: sports bra, thong, fitted black t-shirt, and dark wash jeans, being careful to disturb her bandaged ankle as little as possible. She slipped on her running socks and light weight black running shoes, laying her leather jacket across the edge of the bed for when they would leave. She bent over and shook her hair with the towel dry as best she could before flipping her back over as she stood upright, letting her dark damp hair air dry. She kept hair bands on her wrist in case she needed them but left her hair down for the time being.

Marcus finished his shower soon after and emerged. Shay looked to him in his towel for a moment before turning away, waiting for him to dress. After a moment she looked back as he finished pulling on his pants. He still wasn't saying much of anything. And yet he was here with her. It was his own choice and if he would rather be at his post he would have left by now. Shay brushed some of her damp hair off of her face and walked forward to him, standing right in front of him, their faces inches apart. She looked in to his eyes, not caring if her brazen move took him off guard. Their city was in distress, everything was changing, the Dead might return, nothing was certain at this point, most certainly not their lives. She was willing to die for their city, die for Mother, for her friends, and she realized if their current events continued to evolve she might be faced with grim chances for survival. A wave of panic fled through her body as she realized she might not see tomorrow.

Shay moved her hands up along his chest, trailing up along the sides of his neck and resting with her finger slightly entwined in his hair. Her eyes never left his, both of them silent, her intentions very clear. She paused, waiting for him to move away, before she would lean forward and place her lips on to his, holding him tightly against her.

Ravenia smiled warmly at the youngest of her Harpies. "Clo, you have nothing to apologize about. We'll talk more later. I would also like for you to only have a half shift tonight. I'll have a few Blessed Ones take over around halfway through your shift, love." Ravenia said and smiled as she watched the girl walk away. She became all business though when she turned to Fen and the Russian. "Afternoon, Fen. I hope you're feeling well after our little adventure today." She stated, genuine concern for her Blessed One as she rested a hand on his shoulder. She smiled warmly at him before turning to look back at the large man on the cot.

She grabbed a chair and pulled it close beside the bed. Leaning back, Ravenia propped her feet up on the edge of the bed. Her eyes looked to his constrained hand momentarily, the shadows around it flickered and the restraint was removed. "Do not take my kindness as weakness, sir. I'm offering you comfort in my Lands. If you threaten me or my people I will not hesitate to let the darkness consume you." Ravenia stated calmly, as she crossed her arms over her chest, making herself comfortable. She didn't feel like explaining herself about the darkness. He would find out if he felt like pushing her. Such a large man casted a long shadow.

"My name is Ravenia, I am Mother of the Paradise Lands. Tell me, outlander, what is your story."

-x-

The towering 6'6" man made his way down the busied streets of Paradise Lands. People parted ways for him. A shorter man, of average height but not comparing to anything the other man stood at, hustled to keep up with him. "I'm sorry, Tank. Mother has the whole town on lock down and we're needing a little more push outside the Gates. She apologizes for cutting your time off short. She said she would make it up to you." The man said between breaths. Tank smiled down at his smaller companion. "Don't worry, bud. I've got my baby niece and she's all I need." Tank's sister, known only as Flora, had been his only family for the longest time. The siblings parents had both been warriors and had been lost many years ago when the siblings were still young. Now, Tank a little bit more than just his sister to fight for and it gave him a renowned vigor.

He strolled quickly towards the wall, getting their much faster than his much shorter companion. He was immediately debriefed by another Blessed One about the events of today. He was a little upset that Ravenia had not called upon him sooner to help with the Dead, but from what he understood everything was taken care of. "Alright, if you're heading out with me, let's roll out!" Tank called out as he stood up in the back of the solar car. The shorter man sliding behind the wheel. Tank was much too big to actually fit inside the solar car. When he saw Ramera walking towards them with her normal serious manner, Tank grinned. "Well, hello hello, Ramera of the Harpies! Will you be gracing us today with your deadly beauty?" Tank slid over and nodded for the girl to stand beside him since he knew she too wouldn't fit due to her deadly wings.

Fen perked up as Ravenia entered the room. He beamed up at her like a dog would his best friend, and watched as she settled next to the Russian man. He worried a bit that the man might say something to anger Ravenia; he wasn't exactly all there right now.

"Er, I think he might, uh, be a little...funny? Right now. They gave him some medicine and he's been...loopy, I guess you could say." Fen's speech was halting and awkward as usual. He watched as Ravenia spoke to the man. The Russian cracked one eye open to look up at her, then smiled.

"Hello devotchka," He said, his voice heavy with sleep and accented with his foreign language. "Glad to see there's at least one nice thing to look at around here." He closed his eyes and groaned as he shifted slowly to face them more. "Now what the hell is all that supposed to mean? And where are those two little shits that you let in. I know they're here."

"I think he means the kids," Fen piped in helpfully.

"Funny, huh?" Ravenia said with a quirk of her eyebrow as she looked to Fen with a smile. She turned back to the Russian as he spoke to her. Ravenia's mouth turned up at the side at the Russian's words about something nice to look out. "Careful, comrade, sometimes the prettiest of things can be the deadliest. And don't worry about the little ones. They're locked tight in a room with my finest Warriors standing guard. Nobody goes in or out without my say so." Ravenia replied as she leaned back once again.

She crossed her arms over her chest, not bothering to explain about her darkness threat, and continued on. "I need to know why you traveled across the Red Waste to my Lands, and why you were wounded the way you were." Ravenia stood up slowly as she turned towards a tray off beside the bed. She poured the man a glass of water, placed a straw in it and held it out to him. "I need to know what type of threat my people may face. As Mother, I must protect my children. I must take care of any threat that comes this way. Now if you wanna stay in this nice comfy bed with pretty nurses to look out, you're gonna spill it." Ravenia sat down on the side of the bed, still offering the drink to him. She wasn't scared about being close to him. He would regret it if he tried touching her.

the small bit of food did wonders on his starving system as Tobias licked the grease of the sausages from his fingers as he headed down the streets, nodding his head simply to the residents he passed that actually spoke to him, most others just whispered about the adapting man, you never knew what he would look like. Tobias didnt mind the whispers, they came with his ability, it was true he never knew what he'd end up with.. tomorrow he could wake with no sight but extra sensitive ears like a bats, allowing for a form of echolocation, it was a crap shoot when your body adapted to respond to outward stimuli. for a couple years now he had been trying to see if he could change that, to see if he could force his body to adapt to something just by pure thought and will, but so far nothing.

his increasing hunger currently under control til he could get something more substantial he entered the med center, setting his bag down, he took the things out and replaced them where the went.. behind his desk was 'The Wall' shelves full of herbs and grown medicines that wernt vital were labeled yellow, anything above yellow and stopped at blue was under lock and key in the medical Cabinet.. that was some of the more potent stuff, used for those greatly sick and such, and the nurses and himself, and of course Mother had a key to that.. after that classification was locked in the hidden safe behind the wall panel beside his desk. that was the strongest pain medicines they had, the heavy narcotics and such and then there was the white labels.. anything with white was in the works that came directly from Tobias's blood.. most of it was just crap shoots, nothing but dreams.. the only thing in white that worked was the cure for the undead bite and scratches.. it cured the fever and sickness, the same stuff they used on Shay. also on the wall was the various bottles and equipment they found and had to make that was used. once everything was out of his bag and back where it belonged he walked to the curtained off area where the big guy was. Nodding to Fen, Clo and Ravenia he didnt want to interrupt her questioning he leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms over his chest.

The Hightops. Even if just an illusion, the separation of class somehow managed to outlive the world itself. The residential area was built atop structures that stretched toward the sky, peeking up and over the walls at the expansive waste around the city. It was a large cluster of homes strewn together crudely and lifted off the Earth for safety. The entire structure's unappealing appearance of twisted wood and steel was however hidden behind the encroaching fauna, a byproduct of the original Mother's special gift. Vines, flowers and trees from a world before sprouted from the ground below and grew in abundance in and around the homes. Bubbling from beneath their roots and gushing from the mouth of strange plants, water trickled down toward the ground, pooling together near the bottom of the tower and spilling in a waterfall toward the Earth. It wasn't drinkable but it was something special to see and only added to the city's overall beauty. Paradise looked rather peaceful and it was easy to forget the world was dying just outside her walls. Those who served under Ravenia as Warriors and Harpies were privileged with finding a home in the Hightops. Of course housing in this area wasn't limited to just them and living space was made available to anyone who wanted to live the "high life". Those that refused took up residence with their feet planted safely on the ground.

Complex machine work made travel from the base of the tower to the summit possible and each home was connected via a network of paths that lead to each other... Clo's house being one of the few exceptions. As one of the Harpies three, she too had her own home in the Hightops. It sat at the western tip of the complex hanging off the edge much like that of a birdhouse. It's position gave her a clear view of the sunset signaling the start of her shift. The only way in was to land on the platform that lead to her front door, a feat only possible with wings or some other means of flight. The home itself was rather... modern, modern as far as it was concerned a couple centuries ago. Painted white with two floors and shaped like a petri dish. The first floor housed the kitchen and the dual dining and living area, its function changing depending on what she wanted to do. While the kitchen had a simple setup with appliances she rarely used, the living room had been turned into a type of museum in a way. The walls were covered in racks that held row after row of DVDs and CDs. Set up in the center of this collection was a large flat screen and below that was her entertainment setup. Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo and almost everything in between. It was topped off by the surround sound system setup through the entire house allowing her to play music and listen to it no matter where she found herself. When it was time to turn in, there was a door leading to a stairwell that wrapped around the side of the home and gave access to the second floor where the bedroom and bath were. To finish off the look of the home, the walls facing West were almost entirely plexiglass making for an incredible view. The few rooms made for fairly large living space especially for one person but it was necessary for Clo... her wings made moving around in any home smaller than hers a chore. This way she was comfortable and accidents from her knocking things over was kept to a minimum.

As always, it was a short trip to her place. As soon as she'd stepped outside of the medical center, she unfolded her wings and shot into the sky like a bullet, leaving a torrent of air behind her. Within a minute she was at her front door. A simple slip of her keys into the lock and a twist of the knob and she was in. It was tidy as she'd left it the day before. Any visible walls were a perfect white and the carpets free of any blemish or spots. It was also a little too quite for her liking. The only sound was the whirring of the generator outside letting her know that there was power flowing through her home despite the power plant being down and more importantly...

"Siri..." She called out as she strode through the living room heading straight for the bath, stripping her clothes as she went. "Play Bad Things playlist." The plan was to take a quick shower, dress into something that wasn't covered in blood and head right back out. Plans changed as Clo stepped naked into the shower and the first keys of Bad Things began to play. She let the warm water run over her skin and for a long while simply stood there and listened, thinking back on the last 24 hours. She didn't step out till ten songs later, the eleventh playing in the background as she dried off and got dressed.

Back downstairs and in the kitchen, Clo grabbed an orange apple to munch on, took a quick swig of water and grabbed the iPhone and it's headphones off the dock before heading out. The music cut off midsong and the house fell silent once more as Clo stepped through the front door and locked it behind her.

---
"Anora!"

Clo called out with a stuffed mouth before landing on the edge of the wall next to her sister. She was chewing on a large bite of the apple in her hand, trying her best to siphon whatever energy she could from the light snack.

"I'm so sorry I'm late..." Without giving the woman a chance to respond, Clo strode up and gave her a hug and a kiss on the chest as usual. "...But I'm glad to see you're okay." She released her grip on her sister. "Isn't it time for you to get some rest? You've been out here all day... And where's Ramera?"

It was nearly dark now and although it was clear that the threat of the dead had been avoided, there was still commotion on the wall. It seemed something had gotten everyone's attention and Clo had missed it.

"What's going on?"

Clo took another bite of her apple.

Ramera looked down from the skies, feeling the air tug her hair. She was prepared to give up on her search for the men before she spied a solar car down below. She flew down, landing softly on her feet before she began walking her way towards the men filing into the car, keeping her usual cold expression layered across her face. The largest of the men then turned to her, speaking with a grin plastered across his face. Ah! She thought as she began to remember the owner of the face. He was the man known as either Tank or Julius. A man with a past rooted to Paradise Land. His family had been members of Paradise Land longer than any of the other Warrior families that she could name off of the top of her head.

Ramera felt herself blush at the comment from Tank, but didn't let her cold expression slip as she spoke, “Yes, that’s assuming that you’re the rescue crew?”

He slid over, gesturing for her to stand beside him in the back of the solar car. It would be far more conservative of her energy for her to ride along rather than flying, so she didn't hesitate to take the spot alongside him. She hoisted herself up into the car, folding her wings tightly against her back. “I don’t know about you, but as well-known as Paradise is there are a limited number of people out there who’d know to signal using a yellow flare for help” She stood in the back, alongside Tank, the both of them unable to fit into the cramped space of the solar car. “I don’t know if you were made aware of this but the flare had been accompanied by a screeching sound resembling metallic scraping. It could be a large vehicle of sorts that we’re headed out to. That in itself brings about a few questions.” She breathed in, sighing to herself. “I may be a little paranoid but I feel that it may be best to exercise caution in any rescue situation”

Sasha gulped down the water offered to him quickly. His mouth was dry like sand, and one glass of water did almost nothing to help. He licked his dry lips, considering whether or not to talk to the woman before his demands were met. In the end, he decided that he should probably tell them now before something or someone came in here and offed him.

"There's another group of people a few miles out from here, settled in the city. They're led by a man who calls himself 'The Leader'; a crazy son of a bitch. He wants to come and take this place over for himself. He sent those two brats out to scout the place. Knew that if he sent kids, you'd let them in. Probably told them that he'd kill them if they didn't do, because that's the kind of guy he is. Tried to kill me when I decided to come warn you."

(short post. feel like shit. will post again tomorrow)

Ravenia felt a small frown spread across her lips as the man spoke. There was another group not too far away, threatening her people. Not liking the sounds of it, Ravenia simply nodded her head. She took the cup and turned and poured the man another glass of water. She handed it to him and quirked an eyebrow. "I have two questions: How does he think he can just come and take the Lands. And why did you come and warn us?" Ravenia questioned as she stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. She strolled around the bed and stood in the doorway.

She wasn't dismissing Sasha, she was just wandering about the room. It was the best way for her to think. Ravenia looked out in the hallway to the children's room. She tapped her fingers on her forearm, a frown still on her face. She turned back around and headed back towards the large man. As she walked by Tobias, she reached out and gently touched his bicep. She smiled at him and continued on. Plopping back down in the chair, she shook her head. "Tell me, how many are there and what type of dangers do they hold? Are the children Blessed Ones? Do they too have powers?"

- x-

Tank grinned at Ramera's words. "Yeah, that's the report I got too. The only thing that's out that way though is the river. I can't help but wonder if maybe there was a downed boat or something. That's why Raven wanted me to go along. She wanted as much strength as she could manage out there. We can't just go without not investigating. Over the years we've had plenty of Warriors and Blessed Ones just gone missing. For all we know it could be one of our people who just got stuck somewhere out scouting too far and they couldn't make it back. Or they could have been taken hostage. There's a many number of things." Tank said as the driver tore out through the open gates.

Tank waved back at the Warriors manning the gates and grinned as he saw some of the wave them off. "It's always so amazing to see the Lands from the outside. To us, it's actually a Paradise, but from here, it's kind of off setting." He grinned down to Ramera, and propped his left foot on the back of the seat in front of him. "C'mon, bud! I don't weigh us down that much! Gun this, baby!" Tank boomed, slapping the side of the car. He let out a deep laugh as the solar car shot off. For good measure, he place his arm around Ramera's back and held onto the back of the car. "Hate to lose you!"

When Marcus left the shower to get dressed, he thanked Shay with a nod as he took the towel from her. He dried off without a word and began to put his clothes back on. He glanced at Shay once she turned back to him. He assumed that she was going to teasingly ask if he needed help, but he was quite surprised when she walked up right in front of him, her face only inches away from his. His eyes were wide as he stared into hers. He could only imagine what she was thinking as she neared him, and he made no effort to move away from her.

He didn't move at all as her hands move up his chest and around his neck. He understood what she was doing, and he wasn't going to deny her. He believed that he understood her actions. In the world that they were in, it was more than possible that they could die whenever, and with the threat of the dead, as well as several unknown people within their walls, the chances of dying were much higher than before. They had to enjoy today while it lasted, as they might not be able to see tomorrow.

When she placed his lips onto his, Marcus moved his arm to hold her close to him, and he wished that he had his other arm at the moment to be able to fully hold her. Of course he could just use his metal arm, but he knew that it wouldn't be anywhere near how it would be it it was his actual arm instead. Still, he held her as best as he could and pushed into the kiss, wanting to enjoy it while it lasted.

After a moment, the man pulled away from Shay and looked at her without a word. He had a small smile on his face that spoke more than words could at the moment. Despite that, he wanted to say something to her, wanting to show her that she really meant something to him. He didn't know what to say, though, and had to think about it in silence for a moment. "I'm so happy that you're okay... Sun told me what happened and I wanted to see you as soon as I could.." He tightened his hold around her for a moment before loosening and turning into more of a hug than a hold. "I'm so happy you're here..."

Jacob strode through a number of corridors in the power plant until he reached another blast door. This lead to one of the research chambers for experiments involving radioactive substances. Jacob walked right through the decontamination chamber, calling out "Override code Powers," The second door opened for him without any decontamination protocol. It was pointless when the man walking through was a living fusion battery. Inside, a variety of devices were haphazardly scattered about. In here, Jacob had permission to work on experiments of his own. These ranged from testing the limits of his powers, to using his knowledge of engineering and mechanics to integrate his powers with devices. His most recent ideas were actually based on Marcus's experimental rifle he had been working on. Jacob was using tech from the schematics that Marcus had let him observe to create his own. The difference was that this one would function using an advanced rechargeable atomic fusion battery he had discovered in the plant's research wing, and adapted for his own use. However, the more powerful energy source had proven to be a challenge for his endeavor.

Jacob took his latest design of what he had named the "atomic rifle". It wasn't the best name, but he would give it a new one after it worked. He checked the latest core design he had implemented, charging it when he was satisfied with a cursory inspection. He pushed a button on a nearby recording device. "Atomic rifle prototype number 4." he said. "Final mechanical change log stated in previous entry. Firing single bolt at target at end of the room." Jacob aimed the rifle at a poorly drawn representation of one of the dead. He pulled the trigger, but energy did not fire from the barrel, as designed. Instead, the core of the gun began to glow brightly. Swearing under his breath, Jacob threw the gun at the target. As the core exploded in midair, Jacob absorbed the radioactive energy that was dispersed back into himself. When it was over, Jacob took a few deep breaths. "Experiment failure. Core remains unable to stabilize energies. Will continue to improve core design. Consider collaboration with Marcus."

Jacob decided to head to the wall to see if he could get an opinion from Marcus on the matter. After he cleaned his lab, however, he felt his stomach growl in protest. Perhaps he would stop for food first, then. Jacob flipped up the hood of his jacket, and headed towards the market to get some food.

"He thinks he can," Sasha said with a bitter tone, "Because he's an arrogant piece of shit. He's got people eating out of his hands; his little cult practically worships him. Ever heard of Hitler, sweetheart?"

The man got his arms under him and slowly, gingerly, pushed himself up into a sitting position. He winced as his body complained, but he couldn't stand to lay on his stomach any longer. Sasha turned to look at the woman as he spoke.

"I came here because I'm tired of seeing it. The things he does and gets away with...it's fucked up." He raised a hand to rest on his face, dirt still clinging to his skin. Sasha needed a nice bath and a change of clothes. And maybe something to eat; he was starving. "He's got a few hundred people in his cult, and a couple hundred more that'll do what he says because they're scared of him. I don't know what this 'blessed ones' nonsense is, but a few of them got powers. I don't think the kids do."

Fen listened to the whole thing on the edge of his seat. He looked between Ravenia and Sasha, biting his lip. He'd heard Ravenia's threat to send the children away should they be a threat, and he feared she might actually go through with it. Even if they were spies, they were just kids!

"Uh, Ravenia," He said timidly. "Could I, um. Well I was thinking maybe I could talk to them? To the kids, I mean. Maybe we won't have to...throw them out?"

TOBIAS

Tobias stood leaning against the side, listening to what was said, before he looked to Ravenia as she walked past, her touch making him smile at her for a moment, before he looked up. "Blessed Ones are what those with abilites are called her" Tobias answered. "in the Waste the names are Freaks, Tools, some of the slave trades "Specialists" making the air quotes, revealing he knew a little more about what went on outside of Paradise. "and keep your sweethearts to yourself, would do well to piss off your Doctor" feeling a bit of jealous coming up from him calling Ravenia that.

hearing about this man made Tobias not really want to meet him. "fear is a powerful motivator, especially if you can back it up, making the people more afraid of you then the Undead then" he left the statement off, there was no need to finish it, they all would get it. when the man made to sit up, Tobias walked over and helped her. "easy, you'll tear the stitches on your back with that much moving so just easy" Tobias said not unkindly, more professionally as the information of how many people this cultist had.. two hundred souls, a hunded of them afraid of him. he caught Ravenia's gaze for a moment, wishing once again he could read her mind, but this time he wanted to know what she thought about all this.

NICOLAS

front passenger side axle was bent, not badly but not good either, his ride would hobble til he could get that fix, but currently he had other problems, aside from the barge sinking behind him, the sound of it had obviously attracted some deaders. panting not from exertion, but from the fever that was slowly cooking him alive from the inside out and the pain in his leg making him limp some Nicolas was in combat. he had guns of course.. the back of his runner was loaded up.. Rifles, pistols, ammo.. and a very special weapon from the olden days he'd manage to 'negoiate' out of the hand of some raiders. "COME ON!!" Nicolas yelled, leaping forward, tackling into one of the dead, his knifes.. two foot long and with a wicked curved blade, serrated on the back end, drove into its skull, and was pulled out almost instantly as he rolled, kicking out feet from underneath the deaders. "YOU COULDNT TAKE ME ON YOUR BEST DAY YOU UNDEAD FUCKS!!!" getting to his feet.. the wound on his leg oozing and bleeding through the bandages. hobbling to his runner, he flipped open one of the metal crates. "its the simple things in life worth living" he started laughing as on the dash his bobblehead bobbed away from the movement he'd been making. "dont lecture me, i know what im doing" and when he pulled out a quad barrel, old Military grade Gattlin gun, the belt hanging off to the side, the bullets loaded and ready to go, Nicolas grinned.. part fever, part just cause he was nuts. "look ma, another big STICK" and he pulled the trigger.. the gun whirred, the barrels spinning for a second and then.. all Hell broke loose as it started firing. dead, dirt, rocks.. everything he sweep the gun across was cut into the pieces. side effect a dust cloud was made as the bullets collided with the ground.

Despite Marcus not having his other arm at the moment, his arm of flesh and blood holding strongly on to her, she still felt protected and safe. Marcus' arm didn't define him even though it was a large portion of who he was. Shay pulled back as Marcus did, opening her eyes to look at him in silence. She met his small smile with her own, brushing some of his wet hair off of his brow. Shay listened as he spoke. It wasn't much but it was sincere and from the heart, showing his true concern and care. He leaned in to him again as they embrace, resting her head on his chest for a moment. She listened to his heart beat and breathed deeply. After a moment that she wished would last forever she pulled back to look at him again. "Thank you. Thanks for coming to be with me, for leaving your post. I hope Mother wasn't upset. I...I didn't expect you to leave the gates simply for me but...when you did I was so grateful." It was hard to put in to words how appreciative she was. How much she cared for him. She could see now how much he cared for her. She gave him a full smile and a quick second kiss and then as she quickly pulled back her eyes widened. "Oh!" she cried out. "I left Shane's goggles at the hospital! Oh shit." her voice rang with panic. "We need to go back Marcus. I need those goggles, I can't lose then! Sun is still outside, he can get us back quickly." She quickly turned to the bed and grabbed her jacket, about to put it on until she looked to the large piece of metal that was Marcus' arm. "You'll probably want to put your arm back on, huh?" She looked at the metal arm than back to Marcus. "Does it hurt?" she asked simply, her eyes hovering over his shoulder with the missing arm; as she asked a wave of pain seemed to shock through her body, her ankle throbbing with a searing hot pain. She gave only a small visible wince, as she looked back to Marcus to see what he would say.